The effect of crop genetic diversity to food security among smallholder farmers in the global south and the role of community seed banks: a narrative literature review

Smallholder farmers in the Global South largely rely on seed accessed from farmer-managed seed systems (FMSS) for their seed security. Community seed banks (CSBs) have emerged to manage and enhance the diversity of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) and make it accessible to farmers. However, the connections between farmers' access to crop genetic diversity and food security and the contributions of CSBs remain understudied. We address this gap by exploring the following questions: (1) How does access to PGRFA affect food security among smallholder farmers in the Global South? (2) How do CSBs contribute in this regard? (3) What are the gender-specific aspects and implications of these findings? Using Zotero, we conducted a narrative literature review with a qualitative analysis of 85 relevant peer-reviewed publications. Our findings indicate that access to PGRFA positively influences the six dimensions of food security, although to varying degrees, and that well-functioning CSBs contribute substantially to this end. Women often benefit from being CSB members. However, the technical and financial sustainability of many CSBs is poor and their outreach is limited. Enabling political, legal and institutional environments is integral to realizing the food security potential of FMSS and CSBs.